White Blank Page
by supersdude
Summary: *slight spoilers for 1x05 'Soul Train'* Set some time after 1x05, Charlie wants to learn how to fight and Miles is the only one who can help. No real way to summarize it so just read if you like!
1. Chapter 1

**A|N: **while this chapter isn't so bad, there are some undertones to it. if that's something you aren't comfortable with please do us both a favor and click off now. if you enjoy consider dropping some feedback (:

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

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Charlie hunched over, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She wondered for a moment if this was what one of Danny's asthma attacks felt like; not being able to breathe, your lungs grasping at any oxygen that came in. She was grateful that she didn't share her brother's aliment or she probably wouldn't have been able to partake in this activity for as long as she had been.

"Come on, Charlie, this is what you wanted right? The militia's not going to let you get your breath!"

Her uncle's voice brought her from her thoughts. He was one hundred percent right of course. With her newfound steely determination to find Danny she had asked Miles to teach her what he could about sword fighting and close combat. Truth was her crossbow was only good until she had to reload, and that had already gotten her in trouble before. She'd have to know how to use a sword against the militia. They certainly would.

With that thought in mind Charlie wiped a layer of sweat from her forehead and lunged forward. Despite her exhaustion her movements weren't nearly as clumsy as they had been when Miles first started teaching her. Then again, compared to his grace and deadly precision, everything seemed clumsy. He easily parried her attack and countered with one of his own forcing Charlie to make a hasty retreat. She took another breath in an attempt to calm herself before going after him again.

Nora and Aaron's protest for Miles to take it easy on her had long been silence. Nora's protest hadn't been much of protests to begin with, but she quickly saw that Charlie was determined. As determined as she had been when everything went to hell. Aaron merely gave up, seeing that he was dealing with too hard headed Mathesons. Charlie knew he meant well enough, but she was glad he left them to it. She was tired of being the moral compass and avoiding a battle. True she wasn't exactly thirsty for militia blood; but she was starting to understand that getting Danny back wasn't going to be without spilt blood on both sides and that meant she couldn't afford to be Emotional Charlie when the time came.

"C'mon Charlie!" Miles shouted, sensing Charlie's distraction. He lunged forward with a downward swing, forcing Charlie into a defensive position. "Stay focused!"

Charlie quickly found herself backed up against the rough bark of a tree, her own blade only centimeters from her face as Miles pressed down against her. She could feel his heated breath against her skin as she stared back into his eyes. From the look in his eyes you would have thought he was fighting against militia and not his niece. Her gaze flickered down to his lips and for the slightest of moments she found herself taking in his red, chapped lips, wondering when the last time they kissed someone was.

"Is this how you plan on beating Neville? You can't even hold your own against me" Miles spoke, his voice deep and low.

His words, the reminder of what she was going through all of this for, brought back her determination. Furrowing her brow, Charlie pushed back against Miles causing him to stumble a few steps. She wasn't sure if he was actually caught off guard by her aggression or simply allowed her the space. Although Miles Matheson giving her anything didn't seem likely. Either way Charlie took advantage, advancing on her uncle quickly.

She did her best to mimic his movements; she had seen him kill enough men by now. However she was also smaller and quicker on her feet than Miles which gave her a few more advantages if she could use them correctly. The assault continued and much to her surprise she had Miles making defensive parries and blocks. Dwelling on them wasn't allowed though, she had learned that after their first lesson. She was so excited that she had gotten in a position of power she failed to notice Miles change of tactic until she was flat on her ass looking up at him. This time would be different.

As if on cue she noticed a shift in the older man's body language. His muscles tensed and the quickest of glances down revealed a shift in the positioning of his feet. Charlie processed the information and prepared to counterattack his movement. She side-stepped his downward swing, his momentum carrying him forward. Following through, Charlie stuck her leg out in a sweeping motion causing Miles to fall backwards onto the forest floor. With a glare on her face Charlie pointed her sword at his neck, waiting for his surrender.

Now it was Miles who was breathing a bit heavy, the wind knocked out of him when he hit the ground hard. Putting his hands up in defense, he looked up at Charlie. The blue tank top she wore was drenched in sweat and clinging to her body. Her hips were outlined against the sun and her dirty blonde (or was it brunette?) hair was tied into a ponytail, a single loose strand clinging to her forehead. Her body glistened with sweat yet there was a deadly coolness in her eyes as she looked down at him, for a moment Miles felt a pang of guilt. She looked more like a fierce warrior than the girl who came to him for help in a Chicago bar.

"Alright you've got me. I surrender" he finally gave in. The guilt he had felt faded as the familiar smile that he associated with his niece appeared on her face.

"Ha!" Charlie declared, raising her sword to the sky in triumph. "I bested _the _Miles Matheson."

"Yeah, yeah kid. Don't let it go to your head" Miles commented as he pulled himself into a sitting position, rubbing the back of his head. "Besides I went easy on you."

After she sheathed her sword, Charlie looked back at Miles in amusement. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I've seen you take it easy on me before. You were genuinely trying that time" she stated very matter-of-factly.

Miles stared back up at her before groaning and looking away. Charlie had learned it was his non-verbal way of admitting defeat and that caused her triumphant grin to grow even wider. When he again rubbed the back of his head, the triumphant grin faded into a concerned look as Charlie crouched down next to him.

"Are you okay? You hit the ground pretty hard" she leaned forward, moving her hand to feel the back of his head until Miles swatted her hand away.

"I'm fine, you think I can't handle a blow to the head?" he insisted, despite the throbbing pain inside his skull.

Charlie fixed a hard glare on him immediately. One thing that certainly had not changed since he met her was her determination. Now that she could wield a sword properly she was unlikely to ever back down to him on issues that mattered to her. He just hoped her new mindset also gave her vision on when it was okay to challenge him and when she had to just let him handle things without a protest. "If you have any sort of brain trauma we can't treat that. We barely have the resources to treat a small infection" she reprimanded. "Now hold still and let me see."

Miles grimaced but obliged. Letting out a sigh he allowed Charlie to asses him; both failing to realize exactly how close they were. She felt around, parting his hair for any signs of blood. When she found none, she resorted to tilting his head at certain angles and asking him how he felt. Clearly Charlie was no doctor but this seemed like a good way to check any immediate damage. When she began to ask him how many fingers she was holding up, Miles had enough.

"Alright Charlie, I went through your little tests. I'm fine" he stated, pushing her back a bit.

However, standing proved to be the ultimate test as immediately after bolting up to his feet, a sudden dizziness hit the older Matheson. Charlie quickly rose as well in an attempt to help her uncle but only became a victim as he collapsed forward, his larger mass sending them both to the ground. Luckily she was able to brace herself just enough so that she didn't suffer an injury as well. What she could prevent was Miles' body pressed fully against hers, his unconscious head buried into the crook of her neck.

Charlie's body was stiff her hands grazed against his biceps, gripping his forearm. It was an attempt to remove his body from hers but she found herself lingering for a second longer. She could feel the firm, tone muscle there and was taken by surprise at first. Miles wasn't obviously fit like Nate—or whatever his name was. She had just assumed years of hiding out and drinking beer…well clearly she was wrong.

"Okay…maybe not so fine" his mumbled grunt brought her back to reality, her hand letting go of him faster than she could blink. For some reason Charlie felt like she had been caught doing something wrong.

Miles slowly pulled himself together, raising his head from its spot against her neck. "Charlie—" His words trailed off as their eyes met. Perhaps he hadn't realized how close they were or that he had fallen on top of her in the first place. Now he found himself staring into the blue eyes that always pleaded with him to do the right thing. Yet, that seemed the furthest thoughts from his mind. It was nearly impossible to not be aware of the position they were in.

Then just as quickly as it came the moment was gone. Miles cleared his throat as he moved himself off of Charlie, who lay dazed on the floor for a second longer.

"You should, uh, probably go get Nora. She'll be able to better deal with this" he said, pointing to his head.

Charlie sat up and nodded, ignoring the urge to shoot a glance at her uncle. Dusting her hands off on her pants Charlie got up and started heading back towards camp. As she walked away she shot one last glance back at Miles. He was leaning against the nearest tree and staring off into the distance with an unreadable look on his face. At that moment she would have killed to know what he was thinking.

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**a|n: **so what did you think? i'm hoping this will be a multi-chapter fic but with my muse, who knows. i didn't even know this pairing existed until after last monday's episode and after exploring the fandom i had to get some fic out. just some light hints and nudges for this chapter and we'll see how it progresses starting out as T but may switch to M depending what comes in the future.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: THANK YOU GUYS for all the immediate and thus far positive feedback. luckily my muse is running high at the moment so i was able to pump this chapter out. it's a bit shorter but hopefully not lacking in the quality department. i'll leave the rest of my notes for the end, enjoy and review if you like (:

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

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Charlie was beyond frustrated. They still hadn't made their way to Philadelphia and now they were losing even more ground by stopping to help a rebel contingent. It was a bit funny how her attitude towards them had shifted after the fiasco at the train station and she was sure that Miles had a smug grin on his face when she stormed off. The issue wasn't that she was against their cause; they all hated Monroe after all. But Miles wanted her to focus their goals, so she did: rescue Danny. And although the rebels wanted to bring down Monroe as well; the train situation showed that Danny living or dying wasn't their concern.

That was why she couldn't bear to sit in that meeting another second as they went over their plan. She briefly wondered how foolish she had looked before when she pleaded with Miles and insisted that they had to help those people.

Slowly she made her way through the woods, using the full moon as her beacon. She was a bit surprised her uncle hadn't come after her. Maybe he had learned that it was better to just let her vent it out and cool off. Of course that wasn't always true; sometimes Charlie just needed someone to vent _to_. It was the one thing she had never really had. Burdening Danny with her problems growing up didn't seem right and she could hardly have a one on one with her father. She felt her chest tighten as she thought of all the times Maggie offered to talk and she had turned her down. If only she had taken those opportunities…

The sound of running water brought Charlie back to the present. Taking a few strides she found herself at a slowly moving stream. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she made her way down to the bank. It had been ages since she used a stream or lake for anything other than bathing. And right now seemed like the perfect time to relax.

Taking off her boots and socks, she rolled up her pants until they were well above her knee. Moving carefully she found a large rock that could support her weight and dipped her ankles into the cool night water. Charlie allowed all of her frustration and anger to wash away and flow into the stream. Despite everything she knew that she couldn't become a cold hearted and angry person. In her heart, where it mattered, she still had to keep hold of who she was. After all, she planned on having a life after all of this.

It hit her then just how far off that thought seemed. All her energy was focused on saving Danny, but what was she going to do afterwards? Going back to their home seemed impossible with both her father and Maggie gone. Would they stay with Miles? Would he even want her to stay around—A rustling behind her immediately put her on alert. Turning around she reached for her knife when a familiar voice reassured her.

"Relax Charlie, it's just me" the figure of her uncle emerged from the darkness until the moon illuminated his features. She let her grip on the knife relax and turned her attention back to watching the water, slightly aware of him taking a seat next to her. "It's dangerous to be this far away from camp."

"Just as dangerous being inside with them" she retorted, "even worse if militia finds them." She didn't turn her head to see him but she could feel his eyes burning into her.

"Wasn't it you who wanted me to help the rebels in the first place?"

"Wasn't it you who told me that was stupid?"

When there was no immediate reply from her uncle, she turned to look at him. Charlie found herself staring straight into the older man's eyes, and him staring back. He didn't seem angered or saddened, but his features were softer than usual as if he was in thought. She didn't peg Miles for a particularly deep man, yet his eyes felt like they were looking into her soul, reaching for the right response to say. It sent a chill down her back, but it wasn't particularly uncomfortable as she held his gaze.

"Don't become me."

Charlie had been so caught up that she barely registered the words until he looked away from her. _'Don't become me'_ She didn't know if it was a command, suggestion, or plea. A long silence followed afterwards until Miles finally spoke up, "I know we have priorities. I know you're ready to do anything you have to in order to get your brother back…Just don't lose sight of the line. Not like I did."

Charlie was silent, her lips pursed as she absorbed his words. Aside from admitting to establishing the militia, Miles never brought up what he did while he lead them, although Charlie's imagination was good enough to piece it together. There were a million guesses what 'the line' could represent, but she figured it was the point of no return. The line where once crossed you could never be the person you used to be. Clearly he thought he had gone down that path.

"You're not a bad person, Miles" she stated, her features softening as she looked over at him. He merely scoffed and skipped a rock across the water. "I told you aren't a monster and I meant it. You're trying to do the best you can like everyone else. You just need some help along the way."

There was another pause, a shorter one this time, before he craned his next around to look at her. This time there was a look of tiredness on his face. A look that said he had tried to convince himself of her explanation many times before but had long given up on believing in it. And it pained Charlie to think that. Her chest tightened at the thought that Miles, the toughest man she knew, had labeled himself a lost cause.

"Don't ever lose that" he finally spoke, his eyes meeting hers. Again he didn't expand on his vague words, that would have been far too emotional for Miles Matheson; but Charlie was getting better at understanding his hidden meanings behind these kind of comments.

Contrary to all their quarrels before, Miles _didn't_ want her to lose that instinct to see the good in people. Maybe he just wanted her to be more selective with it. Whichever it was the thought brought a small smile to her features. As she continued to hold Miles gaze she felt her heart flutter; or at least what she supposed was her heart fluttering. She had never actually experienced the sensation before and it caused a line of confusion, anxiousness, and happiness to shoot through her all at once.

"Well their meetings probably over by now. We should probably go see what their grand plan to get us killed is" Miles finally said, pushing himself up on the ground.

It took Charlie a moment to blink and come back to reality as she stared at the spot where he had been. "Um, I think I'm just going to stay here for a bit longer actually" she replied when she had finally found her tongue, her eyes moving back towards the stream.

"Charlie, you really shouldn't be out here alone" Miles started with his opening warning again.

In response she merely gave him a shake of the head and a knowing smile. "Well I was going to go for a swim…"

Her comment hung in the air as she looked up at Miles. Neither was sure what exactly the comment was supposed to lead to and for that reason they both stood frozen, quietly staring back at the other. Charlie felt her heart beating a thousand miles a second, the anxiety building back up inside her. She couldn't place why exactly, it had been an innocent enough comment after all, yet as his words reached her ears she couldn't explain the feeling of disappointment that washed over her.

"Uh-right-yeah-niece, probably doesn't want her uncle watching her swim. Just, uh, if you're not back in twenty minutes I'll send the army" he said, his comment coming out more awkward than as a teasing joke. His movements only emphasized this as he turned away then turned back multiple times. "Bye."

Miles tried to walk away casually as possible despite the voice in his head screaming at him to run. Why was a voice screaming at him? And why was his heart racing? He turned over his shoulder for one last look at Charlie and saw her silhouette outlined by the moonlight as she pulled her tank top over her head. His feet stopped moving and his heart beating like a drum in his ears. It was only when she turned her head back in his direction that he felt the need to move again and was nearly out of breath by the time he made it back to the rebel camp.

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**A/N:** so there's chapter 2! i should point out that this is a story focused on charlie/miles more so than the overall plot around them. so for example i'm not going to focus on the details of what's happening with the rebels for example but i am going to make note of them. there will of course be continuity and i won't just jump to years in the future (yet). this chapter was around 200 words shorter but hopefully still enjoyable. these first two, maybe three chapters, it's going to be a bit slow as i think it should be. like in this chapter the emotions are developing/there but Charlie doesn't exactly know what they mean or why they're arising. hopefully the characters weren't too far ooc. for me Charlie's attitude seems somewhat realistic given her words at the end of 1x05. for those of you that like steamy action, don't worry i like it too xD it will come eventually i promise. lastly yay for parallels! last chapter Charlie looked back on Miles this time it was the opposite.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** it's my birthday today so here is my gift to you! thank you for all the kind feedback and comments, i really appreciate it (: everyone seems to like where it's going and how things are being portrayed so hopefully this chapter is no different. *warning this chapter holds themes that may make you uncomfortable. if so, please do us both a favor and leave now.

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing

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"How much longer till Philadelphia?" Charlie asked. She had been resisting the urge to ask for the past two days, knowing how irritated Miles was becoming but forty-eight hours seemed more than enough time between asking.

"A couple of days" Miles shouted back from in front of the group, not bothering to look back at her.

"You said that a few days ago" muttered Charlie as she stared at the back of her uncle's head.

She knew that he was just telling her what she wanted to hear, but Charlie wished he wouldn't treat her like such a child sometimes. Hadn't she proven that she was an adult by now? From getting the sniper rifle, to playing a crucial role in their latest affair, she showed that she wasn't just a liability. Yet Miles seemed unimpressed, always unimpressed. She knew that was just his nature, and maybe it was childish to want recognition in the first place but she couldn't help it. Lately Charlie found herself vying for Miles' attention more than usual. It wasn't just with verbal 'good jobs' or pats on the back; sometimes just a glance in her direction would cause her to smile.

When this started, she had no clue. If you forced her to pick out a date she'd have to say when they had their talk by the stream. That had been the first time she felt the flutter, and it seemed like it had been nonstop ever since. That was two weeks ago. Two weeks for Charlie to deal with this sensation and try to figure out what it was. So far she had no definite conclusions but there was one probing at the back of her mind, and each time it resurfaced she made sure to push it back down. It was the impossible explanation.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Miles footsteps stopped and he turned around to face them. There was that fluttering sensation again. "Alright, let's have a quick break and get moving again."

"Thank you!" Aaron exhaled as he collapsed onto the ground.

Charlie knew he meant well, and she valued his company but every now and then she wondered if he was a liability at times. Of course she always quieted these thoughts immediately. They had to stay together now more than ever. Besides, the more hands available to go after Danny the better.

As Charlie set her own pack down she caught a glimpse of Miles heading off. Without a word to Nora or Aaron she silently went after him, quickly falling in stride next to him.

"Tell me you aren't going to give me a speech Charlie" he said, not bothering to stop his pace or look over at her.

Charlie bit back an immediate come back and composed herself before speaking, "I just want to know why you won't tell me exactly how close we are to Philly" she simply stated, her tone matching his own casual one. As much as yelling and crying worked with Miles, if she wanted him to start seeing her as his equal she'd have to be able to have a civil conversation.

"So you'll stop bugging me about it every five seconds…Like now for instance" he still remained focused on where he was walking and for a moment Charlie wondered where exactly that was.

"Miles" she reached out, grabbing hold of his forearm and turned him to face her. The only probably was he looked above her head, or off to the side, anywhere but at her face. It wasn't a particularly new habit. Over the past few days he had been avoiding long eye contact with her; maybe that was why she cherished his glances so much recently. As much as she wanted that to be her question, she stayed focused on the topic at hand. "Why is it taking longer than usual, and why are you lying about it?"

"Cause I didn't want to upset you, alright" he finally let out, jerking his arm away from her. Running a hand through his hair he let out a long sigh. "I didn't want to tell you we were off schedule and you lose hope of getting Danny back." He still refused to meet her gaze and began pacing back and forth. "Before we left those rebels, their leader showed me a map of the area. Militia is setting up scouts all along the path to Philadelphia so we've been forced to make a few detours. We're going to be way off schedule."

Charlie stood silent, her brain processing the information that she had just received. Way off schedule. That could mean life or death for Danny. Her mind started to race with all the horrible outcomes and she could feel her composure quickly crumbling.

Then everything stopped as a hand was placed on her shoulder. Looking up from the ground she met Miles' gaze. Instantly she felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart pounding against her chest. She had forgotten how his eyes pierced every inch of her being, and was now painfully reminded.

"Charlie."

He only spoke one word but that word along with a comforting squeeze of her shoulder had an immediate effect. Charlie felt the tears that threatened to pour out recede. Her crumbling composure rebuilt itself and she allowed herself to take a deep, calming breath. Whatever Monroe needs Danny for he probably needs him alive. Therefore the chances of him being alive when they got there were higher than the normal prisoner.

This line of thought seemed to comfort her further as she finally nodded, signaling that she was okay. "Right. We'll just have to move even quicker too—"

Her sentence was cut off by the whistling of an arrow then a thud as it hit the tree next to them. Miles immediately grabbed Charlie and threw her behind him, his eyes scanning the forest to try and determine what exactly they were getting attacked by. Whether it was a rogue group or Militia; and whether they were just a group of scouts or if Charlie and he were in the middle of a full on ambush.

His answer came in the form of two men charging towards him with their swords drawn. Instinct took over as Miles parried both of their attacks, delivering a kick to the chest of the man to his left. Their movements were clumsy, even by Militia standards. "Charlie get back to Nora and Aaron, I can handle these guys."

Charlie had been frozen in her spot, watching her uncle work when she heard his words. Immediately her defiance struck up as she furrowed her brow. "I'm not leaving you on your own." She knew Miles could take care of these guys but her loyalty and dignity wouldn't allow her to just flea; not after everything he had taught her.

Before the debate could go a word further, Charlie was forced to draw her own sword as a third man came running from the woods. At first her reaction was clumsy and she nearly last her hand as she blocked the man's downward swing. However through a mixture of fear and adrenaline her training kicked in. She shifted her body weight to the right, causing the man who was pressuring against her sword to stumble forward. With momentum driving him towards her, all Charlie had to do was stick her sword in his path as was impaled on it.

A quick thud of boots against the ground alerted her to a fourth man's presence. She quickly removed her blade from the now dead corpse and spun around to block the incoming attack. This man was much more prepared than the last as Charlie went for a counter-strike he readily defended it. It quickly evolved into a duel with both of them going after each other. Attacking then counter-attacking. Charlie had only ever dueled with her uncle, but when your uncle was Miles Matheson that meant an awful lot. You learned to take advantage of the slightest mistakes such as when the man exposed himself. Without hesitation Charlie's blade cut across the man's neck and he fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

She turned around prepared to fight another soldier but instead was met by Miles. Instantly her body relaxed as she looked at him. The grim look that he always seemed to have after a fight was etched onto his face and Charlie knew the battle was over. It wasn't until she put her weapon down that the adrenaline started to wear off and the emotions began to hit her. Sure she had killed a man before, shot with a gun and crossbow, but this was the first time she had been in close courter combat. The first time she had sliced a man's neck with no second thought about it.

Her body slumped against the nearest tree as she felt her mind replaying what just happen. Miles seemed to sense what was happening and took a step towards Charlie. Crunching down, he rubbed her arm comfortingly. Out of instinct she reached out for him, pulling him close and burying her head into his shoulder. He was reminded of the time he reassured her he wasn't leaving after Maggie's death and rubbed her back softly.

He wasn't overly good at the comforting thing but he acknowledged that no matter how hard she trained, Charlie simply wasn't a born soldier like himself or Monroe had been. Death still meant something to her.

"Charlie it's alright, you were just defending yourself. Anyone would have done the same" he spoke, his voice soft as he held her against him.

They stayed like that for a few seconds before Charlie pulled her head back to look up at him, "Were they Militia?"

The look away and silence from Miles were what caused the tears to flow. She felt like she had killed innocent people who could have just been trying to live. Somewhere in her mind, she knew that it wasn't true; that they were truly bad people but the emotion overwhelmed the reasoning. Miles merely continued to hold her in silence, letting her cry into his shirt. They remained like that for some time and although she wasn't sure when, maybe as her tears dried up, Charlie became more aware of Miles' strong arms wrapped around her.

The emotion in her heart was replaced by the familiar fluttering and she could feel her skin getting unexplainably hot.

What happened next she couldn't explain if she wanted to. Maybe she was still dizzy from all the emotion but one second she was clutching his shirt, the next her hand was brushing up against his scruff to cup his face. She raised herself until her lips were pressing against his.

Miles sat frozen for a moment, but only a moment as his hand made its way to the back of her neck, pulling her closer against him while he kissed her back. He noticed how her lips were salty from the dried tears and hoped that she never cried again.

Her hand tugged at the hem of his shirt as she twisted them so that she was practically sitting on his lap.

Before they could go any further a snap of a twig brought them apart, breathing for air. Glancing around frantically they both settled on a squirrel that sat on a branch. The relief was brief though as their eyes found each other and they both realized what had just happened did in fact happen.

Without a word Miles pushed Charlie off him, got up and headed in a different direction. Charlie couldn't even bring herself to sit up as she half-lay on the ground, her mind working at a million thoughts per second.

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**A/N**: so what did you guys think?! I feel like in my haste to type this chapter I may have missed a few things or the quality went down, so if so I apologize and hope that it was still enjoyable. a little explanation on the Charlie breakdown. personally i've always thought stabbing someone is a far worse way to kill than shooting someone. if that makes sense. i can't think of the word i want to use but it just seems like it'd be more personal whereas anyone can shoot a gun from a distance and bang. so that's kind the m.o. behind it. Charlie has never put her training with Miles to use until that point and while she has the fighting down, she doesn't exactly have the emotionless part down. And of course a little nugget at the end there (; hopefully you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I won't make excuses for late chapters. just read on and enjoy! as always if this isn't your cup of tea, turn away now.

**DISCLAIMER:** i own nothing.

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He was avoiding her, Charlie could tell. It may not be in an obvious manner but she knew Miles was avoiding her. Of course he was still ordering her around and talking to her like he did the other members of the group; but it was the little things that made her aware of it. He didn't accompany her on walks to get water, and whenever she was up for night watch, he made sure to go to sleep on time, or at least pretend to be asleep. He wasn't giving her any chance to bring up what had happened a few days ago and it frustrated Charlie to know end.

Part of her didn't understand, if he was as confused as she was, shouldn't they try to figure it out and come up with a solution? Or at least clear the air! Instead she was left to her own thoughts, which was perhaps the worst option of all. Charlie tried to reason why she had kissed him, why she had kissed her uncle. At first she had put it to impulse. She was having a vulnerable moment and Miles was there for her, period. However as soon as she accepted that explanation she couldn't reason why he had kissed her back. Was that impulse too?

This line of thought kept her running in circles until she got a headache and had to stop for a moment. Perhaps Miles not talking about it with her was a good thing; it might only complicate things more. On the flip side, part of her wanted Miles to tell her it was nothing and that it was all in fact impulse. Because the longer their silence went on, the more the other option crept into her head. That their actions weren't a mistake; there was a reason behind the impulse.

She did her best to push those thoughts out of her head; liking your uncle? That wasn't right. But when she would lay in her sleeping bag at night, they would seep through her blockade. Reminding her that she barely knew the man, he was hardly family. It was these thoughts and accompanying images that filled her dreams for the past few days and left her even more flustered and frustrated in the morning. It wasn't as if she could talk to someone about it. Sure she could pass it off as an interest in Nate, or whatever his name was, but who would she get advice from? Aaron was a definite non-option and Charlie had been growing discomfort with Nora. She figured it was still the whole train situation, despite the dark part of her that said otherwise.

"Let's set up camp here for the night" Miles suddenly spoke, breaking her from her thoughts. When he turned around, his eyes met hers for the slightest of moments before flicking away. "We get up early tomorrow, we may be able to make Philly by tomorrow afternoon."

There was little protest from the group as they began going about their ritual of setting up camp. Aaron went off to get wood while Nora looked through their rations to see what could be used for dinner. Charlie meanwhile kept her gaze on Miles who seemed to be making an effort to avoid looking up as he searched through his pack. With a sigh, she accepted her fate and went about her duties, already wishing she could just go to sleep.

She later found out that it wasn't such an easy task.

Instead of sweet release, Charlie found herself staring up at the night sky. After a few moments she would rotate to her side in search of sleep only to return to her star gazing ten minutes later. She couldn't help but wonder what the sky looked like when the lights had been on. Was it as beautiful as this?

A sudden ruffling from the woods caused her to become alert, her head jerking in that direction. She looked back at the others but with the fire out it was nearly impossible to see them. It seemed as if no one had noticed it. Slipping out of her bag, she carefully grabbed her blade and crept towards the source of the noise. As she grew closer there was another ruffling, assuring her that something or someone was out there.

She could feel her palm growing sweaty as she clenched the handle of her blade tighter. At worst she expected to find a militia patrol; she silently hoped it was just a rabbit or something. As she turned the corner, what she did see caused her blood to turn cold. Her feet immediately stopped and stayed frozen despite the screaming in her head telling her to run back to her sleeping bag and curl up. She couldn't make a noise, not even a squeak as she looked on horrified by the sight before her.

Miles had his pants around his ankles and Nora was wrapped around him like a pretzel. What was happening seemed obvious enough yet Charlie's eyes were intent on absorbing every heart wrenching detail. It seemed as if any and every butterfly she ever had felt was being taken destroyed. She wanted to interrupt them. Run over to Miles and slap him, call him a bastard for what he was doing. It was at this very moment that she started to realize the dark voice that came to her in her sleep was right.

Another minute passed before Charlie was finally able to tear herself away. Turning she sprinted back to the campsite, not caring if her movement was heard or not. When she buried herself in her bag she wanted to cry. She wanted to cry more than she had when she found her father or when Maggie left her; but she refused. Despite everything she held on to her resistance; the part of her that had gained experience and hardened over their travels. It was the thing she held onto during a battle, or when she had to put her steel face on. A part of her that she learned to develop from Miles.

She clenched onto that for dear life, until the darkness finally came over her.

The next morning there were no tears as Charlie walked with her head high, a steely look in her eyes. She was determined not to let Miles actions affect her. If he wanted to set a horrid example then go right ahead. Why should she care where he sticks that thing.

They had walked for at least an hour or two hours straight before Miles signaled for them to stop. "I think this is a good place for our first break-"

"I think we should keep going" Charlie interrupted, getting a surprised and confused look from Miles. Usually the situation was reversed with her calling for breaks and him wanting to carry on. "You said it yourself, taking this detour route is already setting us back. We need to make up as much ground as we can" she continued, unflinching from her uncle's gaze.

"I know that but Charlie, we've been moving since dawn. I quick water break won't hurt us on time."

Charlie merely scoffed at his reply, certain that he was just using this as an excuse to get a quick fuck in. She grabbed the straps of her backpack and turned on her heel, ignoring the looks she was most certainly getting from the rest of the group, Miles especially.

"Charlie…" he called out before shouting more forcefully. "Charlie!"

Much to his disdain, his niece continued walking on as he was merely a whisper in the wind. He glanced back at the other two members of the group and signaled that he'd handle it while they rejuvenated themselves. Charlie was already a good distance away and he had to jog to catch up with her. "Charlie, what is your problem. Do you want to get ambushed by militia?" he spoke scornfully, blocking her path with his larger frame.

"I can handle myself, in case you forgot" Charlie retorted, meeting his gaze. The flicker of recognition in his eyes told her that he didn't forget and that maybe he remembered what happened afterwards as well. If this was yesterday maybe she would have cared, but after last night…"Why don't you go take another 'break'"

Her tone wasn't lost on Miles who adjusted his position as she tried to go around him. "What's that supposed to mean?" When Charlie was silent he frowned further, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "What's that supposed to mean, huh?"

"You know what it means" she finally snapped. She wanted to curse herself because she could feel tears threatening to build up and spill over.

Miles looked away, swearing under his breath. Of course he knew what she was talking about; he was just hoping it had been something else. This was one of those times he wished he could trade places with his brother, or any rational adult for that matter. Miles was a soldier, a general; he didn't know how to handle situations with words. Let alone this fucked up situation he found himself in.

"Charlie, Nora and I have history. We just gave in to our needs last night—"

"Why did you kiss me back?" Charlie interrupted bluntly. Despite the tears that threatened to fall, her brow was furrowed as she looked up at him, demanding an answer. "Were you just giving in to your needs then?"

"Charlie, I—"

"You know if it had just been me kissing you I would have said I was being a stupid, emotional, lost girl. But you kissed. Me. Back. And I need to know why. I need to know what it means" she finished, her gaze never breaking from his.

Miles couldn't remember being left so speechless in his life; perhaps when Charlie first walked into his bar was the only moment that compared. She was forcing him to confront what he had been avoiding over the last few days and he didn't like it. Every time he thought back to that moment, the way he felt when her hips had straddled him, he was reminded of how much he enjoyed it and then quickly reprimanded himself for thinking that.

"Charlie, this is really fucked up" Miles said, running a hand through his hair.

His niece was having none of it though as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. It seemed like she had only gotten more stubborn since he trained her. "You're dodging" she said simply.

The former General let out a frustrated sigh, quickly seeing he wasn't getting out of this without some attempt at an explanation and unfortunately for him, Charlie had the uncanny ability of seeing through his bullshit. "What do you want me to say, Charlie? That I _enjoyed_ kissing my niece. That it's the one thing I've been avoiding thinking about because every time I do I want to pull you aside and have my way?"

"And Nora?"

"Nora…" God he was going to hate himself for admitting this. "…Nora was a poor replacement. I needed something to keep me sane. There. Is that what you wanted? You want to know why, Charlie I have no fucking clue why!"

The immediate silence that followed his admission was thick enough to slow a bullet. The determined angry look she had been giving him merely faded to a blank stare, her mouth slightly ajar. Charlie didn't know what she had expected, maybe for him to be in denial some more but his honest outburst was definitely not expected. Her heart was beating faster than that moment in the words yet she had never felt more unsure or afraid before. This was what she wanted wasn't it?

"For fuck's sake Charlie"

She barely had time to register his comment before she felt his hands pulling her face towards his, their lips crashing together. Despite her shock, she only took half a second to respond. She had been waiting for this moment for nearly a week and wasn't going to let it go by being a doe in the headlights. It was also only then that she could admit to herself that she had in fact been waiting and wanting this to happen.

In a matter of seconds his big, rough hands had her jacket on the ground and were pushing up her tank top. Her inexperienced hands moved down his chest, pass his abdomen and to the button of his jeans. His lips had moved to her neck, causing her to fumble with the button (or was it her nerves?). A too-loud moan escaped her lips when he sucked on the skin that Charlie didn't know was so sensitive.

She gave a sharp gasp when she felt his experienced hands cupping her breast under her shirt. She had explored her own body before but with Miles it was something else entirely. He was a man who knew what he was doing, who knew what reaction he would get by tweaking her nipples and smirked in satisfaction when she gave him the responding moan.

"Charlie?"

The first time her name was called they were both too far gone to stop. It was only on the second attempt that Miles pressed his hand over Charlie's mouth, her eyes wide in fear.

'Get dressed. Now' Miles mouthed to her. Seeing as she had her shirt pushed up and jacket on the ground, Miles made the decision to be a distraction, seeing as Charlie hadn't even managed tog et his zipper down.

Once Charlie had parted from him, Miles did his best to adjust the bulge in his pants and began walking back towards camp until he found Aaron, standing and shouting Charlie's name. _Bastard._

"Miles" he said, sounding a bit surprised. "Did you get Charlie when you were out there."

"Nope. She musta been really pissed, got way ahead me by the time I was out there" Miles responded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Who's got the water?"

Preferably cold.

* * *

**A/N: **such teasing, mwahahaa :P but i hope you guys liked this. not ridiculously long but I always said these chapters wouldn't be books. I felt like Miles turning to Nora as a went to vent would be a rational reaction? maybe that's just me. and of course Charlie is at the crossroads of wanting to be vulnerable and wanting to be strong, but we see she doesn't really play Miles bs xD anyway, i really hope you guys enjoyed it and i will try my hardest to get the next chapter out sooner than this one came.


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